Writer: Anthony Wesaka. PHOTO/FILE
April 9 was the last day in office for Deputy Chief Justice Richard Buteera as he clocked the mandatory retirement age of 70.
Justice Buteera retired after a four-decade legal journey that included 18 years as the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).
A week before his retirement, a special sitting in honour of his legal legacy was held and speaker after speaker lauded Justice Buteera as a towering legal figure who was incorruptible, kept time, was calm and yet firm, loved upholding the rule of law, and gave a listening ear to the vulnerable seeking justice.
I congratulate Justice Buteera on his retirement. With the sound legacy as per the speakers at the special sitting, I urge the young judicial officers to follow in his footsteps and desist from corruption temptations that have eaten every section of the government, including the Judiciary.
This is because the current crop of young judicial officers has the tendency to get rich quickly, which has seen a number of them accept bribes from litigants to influence the course of justice.
According to statistics from the Judicial Service Commission (JSC), a government body that recruits and disciplines errant judicial officers, by January 2025, a total of 1,234 disciplinary cases had been lodged against judicial officers, and more than 50 disciplinary sanctions handed down to different officers ranging from dismissal, retirement in the public interest, severe reprimand, caution, warning to order of compensation.
Likewise, a recent report by Afrobarometer ranked the Judiciary among the top government institutions that engage in corruption schemes.
Further, the report showed that the majority of the citizens think that court decisions are influenced by the powerful and favour certain groups over others.
The other work virtue that Justice Buteera has left behind and should be emulated by the young judicial officers is time-keeping.
Several judicial officers show up in court very late, past 10 am, and this has become a habit at the expense of litigants who spend several hours waiting for their services. Some officers don’t even have the courtesy to say sorry to litigants when they come to court late.
If Justice Buteera, the second-highest ranking judicial officer after the Chief Justice, could keep time, why can’t the young judicial officers who are far more energetic than him do even better? This will save litigants time to do other productive things.
I wish Justice Buteera a productive and joyful retirement.
The writer, Anthony Wesaka is a lawyer and journalist with a keen interest in governance, politics and human rights.
